It is usual in the field of electronic dart games to provide the dart board or target with sections or cups which are responsive to "safe" darts, the sections or cups being slidably mounted in a spider frame. The spider and target sections are mounted in front of a pressure sensitive switch matrix. The switch matrix has at least one switch associated with each target section. The impact force of a thrown dart displaces the respective section inward thereby closing the associated switch to signal a dart hit.
The prior art uses resilient devices to bias the target section in an initial forward position and to cushion the impact of the section with the associated switch. These resilient devices, in the form of diaphragms, bellows-like buttons, and solid rubber sheets, while adequate for biasing the section in the proper position, do not allow for maximum reliability in scoring.
The prior art is exemplified by the dart game shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,251 [Jones et al.] herein incorporated by reference. A game similar to that disclosed in Jones et al. has been manufactured with target cups having feet resting on a solid rubber damper sheet interposed between the target cups and a matrix switch of imprinted Mylar sheets.